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May 11, 2007

Fighting Stigma on Campus

While she was attending college, Susie Piasecki discovered she had mental illness when she had her first manic episode. After taking a break from classes and seeking treatment, she returned to school and told her classmates about her personal experience with mental illness. A recent article in the Chicago Tribune chronicled her story of facing stigma and overcoming prejudice about her illness.

Read more about Susie's experience from the Chicago Tribune (opens new browser window, requires free registration).

Susie found the experience of telling her story helped her on her path to recovery. Luckily, she found out about NAMI's In Our Own Voice Program. This program is an opportunity for people who live with mental illness to go out in their communities to talk about their illness, and their life. Through these talks, the audience gets to put a "face" to the idea of mental illness. Through teaching audiences and sharing their stories, the presenters remove the fear that comes with the unknown.

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